Hospice Team

Skilled professionals dedicated to helping both patient and family

The range of comprehensive hospice services at Southwest General is administered and carried out by a team of highly trained and compassionate professionals focused on helping your loved one as well as you and your family.

Administration

The Hospice Services team is led by Deb Borowske, PhD, RN, MSN, and Director of Hospice Services of Southwest General. She is available if you have concerning the care you receive. She can be contacted at dborowske@swgeneral.com.

The manager of the Hospice Services team is Alice Leach, RN. She can be reached for any concerns at 440-816-5000.

Hospice Aide

A hospice aide is a specially trained person who comes to the home or nursing home several times each week to help the family care for the personal needs of the patient. This care includes bathing, shampooing and pampering the patient. This compassionate care is provided by 13 different fully-trained staff members. This team works to provide the same two aides throughout the patient’s hospice experience. This consistency of service provides a unique level of comfort and personalized care.

Physician

Our Hospice Services is led by Dr. Ramesh Gundapanini, a physician with more than 20 years of experience in hospice care. As the attending physician and medical director, he visits the residential center patients each week and is available on weekends, as needed. He also oversees the care provided by Hospice Services to our outpatients. While under our Hospice care, our patients always retain the right to request that their primary care physician direct the medical care. They may also request the medical director direct the medical care decisions.

Nurses

Many of the nurses of Hospice Services of Southwest General are certified in hospice and palliative care. Currently Hospice Services has approximately 21 nurses on staff. A specific nurse is assigned as the manager of the patient’s care and the team works to provide the same two nurses to each patient and family to provide consistent care. A nurse comes to the home as needed by the patient or family and there is an on-call nurse available 24 hours a day for emergency concerns. A registered nurse is present in the residential facility 24 hours day.

Social Worker

Our social worker provides holistic patient and family-centered care across treatment and care settings. They work to get to know and understand the person and family in the context of their lives while striving to enhance the strengths of the terminally ill person and family as they cope with their life situation. They will listen to what you have to say and they can help you talk about the people and things that are important to you. Their thorough knowledge of community services and can help you arrange for care quickly and efficiently.

Spiritual Care Coordinator

Our spiritual care coordinator is available to assist in meeting the needs of all Hospice Services patients and their family members. The coordinator acknowledges and respects the patient’s and family’s beliefs, culture and values related to life’s meaning, including suffering, loss and a desire for services. The spiritual care provided supports patients and their families in the exploration of questions related to the illness, one’s relationship with others, nature, God, self-image and hope. Spiritual Care is a vital aspect in the holistic care concept of hospice. Accordingly, hospice acknowledges and values the uniqueness of each person and recognizes that by being human, one has spiritual needs in their life’s journey. The spiritual care coordinator is also are available to interdisciplinary team members for matters regarding spirituality and related care and services.

Volunteer Coordinator

Our volunteer coordinator, together with the hospice staff, assesses the needs of the patients, families and caregivers for supportive services and assigns volunteers to meet those specific needs. Care is provided in homes, home-like settings and in The Thomas P. Perciak Family Residential Hospice. Our volunteers are an integral part of the hospice team and the "life" of this facility providing assistance seven days a week, 12 hours a day. Volunteers serve as:

Welcoming greeters

Hands-on patient care providers

Patient support in the residential center and in homes

Vigil volunteers at bedside

Office support/clerical personnel

Hospice volunteers receive the satisfaction of having made a difference in someone’s life through greater self-knowledge gained from relationships with patients, caregivers and family members.

We Look Forward to Helping You

For more information about our Hospice Team at Southwest General or to arrange an appointment to discuss your needs, please contact us at 440-816-5040 or hospicereferral@swgeneral.com.